Star Crossed
by Enervation
Summary: Amare Senju is thrust into a bloody war for power, one that has already claimed the lives of two brothers. She doesn't want to lose anyone else, but when it comes time to face the true enemy, which side will she choose? Izuna/OC, Slight Madara/OC. Rated mature just in case. Hehee sorry, silly summary!
1. Intro: War

Summary1:Butsuma Senju was left little choice after losing two sons. His daughter was no true shinobi, but proved to be an excellent sensor and healer. Winning this war meant way more than personal bonds. Sacrifices were needed.

Note~ Just a quick introduction to my new story. It's an idea that's been going on in my head for a while. I wanted to finish the first chapter and upload them together, but I changed my mind. The next chapter should be up really soon, promise :) Reviews are welcomed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Only Amare. :)

Introduction: War

First, Kawarama. Itama, too, had fallen. The price her own father put on this war were his own sons. Amare Senju had little left of either of her younger brothers to mourn, both practically ripped to pieces by the enemy. The Uchiha enemy. She dare not ask why they warred, nonetheless any reply seemed unwarranted. But she remained curious. What had the Uchiha done to deserve to lose their own sons? What had the Senju done to lose theirs? It seemed a mess. A touch of her hand woke her from deep debate. Hashirama gazed at her sympathetically, he opened his mouth to speak but Amare quieted her elder brother. She found herself smiling, thinking how often all of her brothers together spoke of peace. Together.

"I hope you can create peace from pieces." She hugged him tightly, fearing for his life. If she could help it, she would never let go of him.

Hashirama returned her gentle smile. "Don't worry, I'll be back in a few days!"

It ached to hear him make such a promise in the midst of war, but she trusted his word regardless.

Butsuma emerged from the house and approached the two. They ended their embrace to hear their father's words.

"Amare..." He began reproachfully, "You are coming. There has been an urgent change. I have already prepared you some things, so be ready. We're leaving at nightfall."

Amare expressed no true reaction, but nodded in compliance. She had no desire to be anywhere near the battle field, but with the loss of her brothers, she felt somewhat relieved to be of some use. She placed a hand on her brother's shoulder before he could get himself in trouble. Unlike Tobirama, he was terribly outspoken about his beliefs. More often she agreed with him, but felt it was no use to express it to her father. After all, he was set in his ways. Butsuma went back inside to prepare.

"That isn't fair...What is he thinking?!" Hashirama lashed out.

"I'm glad to go...I rather do that than sit here while we lose everyone."

"I know you can help, but I just don't want anything to happen you you."

Amare laughed, much to his surprise. "Don't worry, we'll be back in a few days."


	2. Chapter 1: Healing

Thanks for the reviews! I apologize for leaving the intro so short and not updating sooner. I was on vacation and had a difficult time putting down the daiquiri to type. xD

I struggled to write this chapter and am not particularly happy with it ~_~ It felt slow. Oh well. Hope you enjoy~

Five times over Tobirama lectured his younger sister about her conduct, supplies, duties, and whatever else came to mind. She stopped keeping track after the second time, and hadn't been taking his warnings as seriously as he saw fit.

"Don't forget your weapons. Or food supplies. Just because you're a girl doesn't mean I'm carrying them for..." Tobirama glowered at Amare. "Are you even listening?"

"Huh? Yes, I heard you. Weapons, food, carrying." She flashed him a half-hearted smile, which annoyed him further.

"You aren't taking this seriously. I thought you would have realized by now that this isn't some easy mission. You aren't gathering herbs, you are engaging an enemy that wants you dead more than anything else." He spoke in a matter of fact tone, and then sighed. "I...we don't want you to get hurt, or worse."

Amare nodded her compliance. "I won't be careless, I promise." She knew better than to argue with him, and that this was his way of conveying underlying worry for her well being. After all, he was never one to be forward with his feelings.

Satisfied with her answer, Tobirama left her to grab his own things. By nightfall, they had taken their leave south towards the battlegrounds. From what their father detailed them on, the mission itself was subversive in nature. Butsuma cautioned that they would be dealing with Tajima Uchiha and his sons directly. Amare recalled Hashirama sulking for days after an encounter with them, something he rarely did.

The group silently traveled through the night, not receiving a moments rest. Near dawn they approached their destination, when Butsuma raised his hand to halt them. Amare glanced towards the sky and saw the way dark clouds swirled over head.

"We'll use the weather to our advantage. Once the storm starts, we'll attack and catch them off guard. Amare, remain unseen, however, if you see any openings to finish off our opponent, do not hesitate." Their father instructed. The last part caused Hashirama to cast her an uneasy glance, but his sister showed no emotion towards what was said.

"Understood."

The storm picked up shortly after, allowing the three coverage to approach their enemy seemingly undetected. Amare hid herself high within a tree that allowed her to overlook the enemy's location. _They haven't noticed us yet...Something isn't right._

Amare watched on as her father and brothers destroyed the three clones. _They knew we were coming..where.._

The presence of someone behind her interrupted her thoughts. Amare jumped from the tree, narrowly dodging the kunai thrown at her. Hasirama immediately went to her side.

"It's a trap, we have to go!"

More than the three they expected closed in on their location. There were at least seven men, she surmised.

Hashirama gripped his sister's hand and pulled her along, going a different direction than Tobirama and their father.

"Is splitting up a good idea!?" She began to panic a for her father and Tobirama, despite being chased herself.

"There's no other choice, we have to move quickly! Stay close." He let go of her hand and the two of them sprinted away from the enemy.

Amare dashed ahead of her brother, assuming he remained right behind her. No longer feeling the presence of her pursuers, Amare stopped and leaned against a tree, panting heavily.

"Brother..." She looked around for any sign of Hashirama, but there was none.

"Hashirama?! Where are you..."

As night approached, Amare began to worry more. As she walked through the woods, hoping to encounter her family, she stumbled over an object and face planted on the ground. Groaning and spitting out a wad of dirt, she rolled over onto her back.

"What in the..." Realizing that the object she fell over was no object at all, she let out a shriek and frantically crawled away from the body. Breathing heavily and not able to see clearly, she stood up and kneeled back over by the body.

"It can't be..." Amare silently prayed it was not the lifeless body of one of her brothers or father, but even after confirming that it was none of them, she couldn't help but feel sorry for guy. _He must be one of those Uchiha. _She flinched when he began to cough, and impulsively gripped a kunai, aiming it towards his body. The guy still made no movement. Amare's eyes traveled down to his stomach, where he had a rather deep looking stab wound. _"Do not hesitate..."_ She recalled the advice her father gave her. For all she knew, he could very well be dead. And for what reason? Placing the kunai back inside her bag, she began to assess the damage done the young man.

Her hands began to glow a light green as she lay them gently over his wound.

Through her training with her brothers, she decided that fighting shouldn't be the only option.

_Amare stared up at Hashirama with an earnest expression as she began to heal his scratches from his training session with father. "It's amazing how you created this technique." He smiled at her. "How did you do it?" _

"_I imagined the worst pain..." She finished healing him. "I imagined the greatest happiness. And the energy, the will to help others manifested itself. For everyone who fights, for everyone who is in the grasp of death._ _There should be healing..." _


	3. Chapter 2: Alike

Trying to bang these out, since they are shorter chapters and because beginnings make my head spin. They will so get longer as it goes on, promise. Whenever i pick up a book, I read it backwards. So I would probably be more content to write stories backwards. -_- Using coffee to keep me writing early in the morning and late at night. Oh and i'm operating under the belief that the narutoverse and all others have bacon. Who doesn't have bacon?

Amare's patient began to stir as she finished healing his wound. It never crossed her mind that he may just use the opportunity to kill her instead of thanking her for saving his life. The stranger opened his eyes and stared at the girl with an expression of confusion.

"Did you just help me...?" He looked skeptical. "What are you even doing out here?"

_He doesn't know..._ Amare gave a mental sigh of relief.

"I came across you like that. You seemed as if you needed some help. What happened?" She didn't even have to ask, she already knew.

"Senju." He hissed, the anger from his recent fight resurfacing. "Those bastards got away...this time."

Amare winced at the venom of his words, but also felt relief. _Got away? Good..._

"I'm sorry...Oh. Let me help you." Noticing him struggling to stand, she placed her arm around him and allowed him to lean on her for support as he stood up. The boy looked reluctant to accept her help, but was left with little choice since no one else seemed to be around.

"You'll still be weak for a little while." She debated her next move carefully. _Helping him back to the rest of his group could mean certain death..._ Despite the obvious risk and grim feeling in her gut, she proceeded.

"I'll help you to wherever you need to go, or until you are okay on your own."

"Thanks, i guess..." He was clearly skeptical of her, but once again, had little choice but to accept the stranger's help.

They began to make their way slowly towards the direction he said. "There's a small camp near by. It shouldn't take long to get there. Um...by the way, why were you even out here? We are kind of in the middle of no where."

Amare froze. "Uh. Well, there are...plenty of..." She struggled to find a plausible reason "wild pig?"

He rose a brow in response. "Wild pig?"

Amare laughed nervously "Yeah! Bacon."

"Right." They fell silent. After several minutes, she spoke again.

"So what's your name?"

"Izuna."

"I'm Amare." _He doesn't know me, right? Great, Tobirama is going to KILL me. _

He said nothing in reply so Amare concluded he wasn't in a speaking mood.

Suddenly someone dropped down in front of them from the trees.

"Izuna! Are you alright? Who is this?" He looked from Izuna to Amare questionably.

"Amare. She helped me out back there."

She felt his eyes boring through her, as if he knew exactly who she was. He knew, she was sure of it, and this would be the end.

"Amare...Thank you for helping my brother." He walked over and allowed her to let go of Izuna and helping him instead.

Surprised and eased by his reply, she nodded. "You're welcome."

Izuna and his brother turned and started to walk away, when Amare overheard Madara's words.

"Come now, brother, the Senju escaped eastward. You need to rest so we can pursue them later."

_He did that on purpose? Hm. Thanks. _Amare left in that direction immediately to find her family.

Madara glanced back in her direction as she took off. _Much like Hashirama. _


	4. Chapter 3: Plan

To be clear, previous chapters reflect around age 13. There is no Izuna in this chapter, but i promise, the next one will definitely have lots of him and Madara. :) I don't have a place in mind where i'm going to end a chapter, therefore I don't seem to know how long it will be. When i'm writing and reach a certain point, i'm all like, yo this is a good spot. Hahah but no, i'm really sorry about that. Reviews are so appreciated and welcomed! :)

Upon finding her family, her brothers rushed to her side. Tobirama took first to admonishing her for getting separated from Hashirama, and then targeted him for losing track of their younger sister.

"You should have kept up better!"

Hashirama rubbed the back of his head. "Well it's okay, she's fine and we're all together now."

"And next time?" Tobirama impatiently waited for whatever excuse he was about to hear when Amare stopped them.

"It's fine, really. I'm just glad that you guys are okay, too."

Butsuma approached them, offering no reaction towards Amare's return.

"You survived...which means you may prove useful in future combat."

Hashirama clenched his fists and went to speak against him, but Tobirama placed a hand on his shoulder to temper his older brother. "Not now..."

"Yes otosan." Amare complied while Hashirama held his tongue.

Once returning home, Butsuma ordered Amare to focus on training her offensive skills to be of better use to the clan, much to Hashirama's objections. She always used to watch her brothers train, and occasionally joined them, but this time it felt different. It was not for fun or her own personal endeavors. Strength became a means to an end, and this end didn't look good for either clan at the rate things were going. Within three years, Amare's taijutsu prowess could hold its own against her brothers and all three of them developed new healing techniques. They all shared the same dream to bring the senseless violence to an end.

Amare situated herself at the side of a wounded kinsman, Uzoma, and immediately began using her Shōsen Jutsu to stabilize him. Chaos surrounded her, but her concentration in its entirety focused on the task at hand. Enemies and allies alike fell all around, and being only one person who dealt with the wounded made it difficult to make it to more than several people efficiently. As she began to help him towards safety, a Uchiha noticed and moved in to take out both Senju. In an instant, the Uchiha was cut down before he could get too close to Amare and Uzoma. Making sure their way was clear, Tobirama approached Amare.

She looked up and him. "Thanks. Is something wrong?" Her brother's exigent expression gave rise to the panic in her. "What happened?"

"We need to go to the front lines." With out further delay, the two of them rushed to the front lines. The closer they got, the fighting seemed to cease, troubling her deeply. A group of her kinsmen surrounded several wounded, among them was Butsuma, with Hashirama kneeling beside him. Amare rushed over and observed the pitiful state her father was left in, many wounds dressing his body. Guilt flooded through her, for not being close enough to help or save him. Hashirama stood up, never taking his eyes off of their father.

"He told me to lead the clan to victory, to destroy the enemy. Even in his final moments, all he could do was curse and foster this cycle of hatred."

She gave him a look of sympathy. "You'll do the right thing. You always do."

As they gathered their fallen and wounded, Amare noticed that among the Uchiha's fallen was their leader.

"They killed each other..." She mused aloud to Tobirama, who observed the same thing.

"This was the kind of death he thought as honorable. I don't believe he would have it any other way."

"Honorable to some. But not to those who do not have a choice in the matters of war."

Tobirama silently agreed with his sister. With Hashirama leading the clan now, there would be new hope that peace would be realized.

Amare kept busy tending to wounded for several days in the aftermath of her father's death, working without sleep or comfort. The only ease she had was hope. Hope that Hashirama's lead would improve conditions for their clan's children, and hope that perhaps peace could be negotiated. However, she was not prepared for his bewildering tactics.

"There is no way that the other Uchiha would allow me to speak to him right now, but if we sneak in and I have the chance to talk to him..." Hashirama concocted a plan that even Amare considered ridiculous. "Madara and I are friends. He would surely hear me out, at least." _Friends that fight for opposite sides, unfortunately._

"That is nearly certain suicide, oniisan."

He smirked "That is why we cannot tell Tobirama. He would never allow this." Despite being the strongest shinobi of their clan and despite being a genius, prodigy, AND their new leader, she wondered if he took any hits to the head in recent battles.

"And you think I would allow you to march into Uchiha territory where they are just waiting to tear any one of us apart, especially after their leader has fallen, ALONE?!" Even she had more sense than to expect to walk in and walk out unscathed. "I'm going with you."

Note:

It isn't really mentioned what age Hashirama and Madara assumed leadership of their respective clans, so I'm stabbing at around 18-20. It would make a little sense that witnessing the loss of their father would allow Madara and Izuna to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. That's just what i'm going with. Also felt that Butsuma and Tajima killing each other was hinted in the manga, since they were so evenly matched and alike minded.


	5. Chapter 4: Collateral

OMG Totally hit 1000 words. Really worked hard to do that for you! 3 Since i'm half english writing major, there are several things I love about reading and writing stories: 1. Foreshadowing 2. Characterization 3. Small details 4. Absolute madness

I just figured out how to make a line. Wow, I'm dumb.

Anyways, super happy to update this so soon. I was deep in thought with how to play this out and thought I would have to give a few days to mull over it. And yet, here it is! Hope you like it :)

* * *

Hashirama looked elated. "It will be nice to just talk again."

Amare sighed "If he is even taken to discussing things at this point. He may have changed his ideals." Although she had only encountered him directly once, the Madara she recalled contained some amount of honor and appreciation. Maybe he would assent to a meeting. Or maybe he would take advantage of the opportunity to mount an attack. _He's acting like a child...but, at least i've never seen him so excited for a change. lately._

Both of them masked their chakra in order to leave undetected. Hashirama assured that they would be back by morning, Tobirama would never find out, and if they were even luckier, a deal would be struck.

_I don't know what is less likely...Tobirama not finding out, or this plan actually going smoothly. _Amare typically held whatever her oniisan did or said in high esteem, and while she respected the nobility of this crazy idea, the odds were against them. Sending out a carrier pigeon with a note attached, they could only hope that there would be no confrontation. Hashirama led his sister to the place that he and his former friend used to meet to train and discuss the prospects of future peace. As they arrived, he remembered the past and smiled to himself, as he often did. Amare looked out at the view of the landscape; stunning and perfect, she thought, rolling hills and trees as far as the eye could see illuminated by an illustrious full moon. Enchanted by the view, she nearly forgot what they came for. The sound of footsteps brought her back to reality, and she snapped her head in the direction of which they came. Now before them stood Madara and Izuna Uchiha. Hashirama smiled warmly "It's nice that you came here on short notice."

Madara scoffed "I expected this. Some foolish attempt to broker peace. After all the blood that has been spilled, you expected it to be an easy undertaking? That we would just bend to your will?"

Hashirama's expression turned pensive "You assume too much! That's not it at all. We have both lost so much...brothers, fathers, and so has countless others!"

"It will never be that simple."

Amare interjected quickly, before things escalated "There is no temporary armistice that can be achieved? Both clans are suffering heavy loses...regrouping and tending to one's wounded and dead for a month would have mutual benefits." They all knew quite well that an outright peace treaty would not be an option given the current state of things. Both clans were blood thirsty for vengeance, especially over the losses of their respective leaders. "We all know that war cannot be assuaged entirely at this point."

Hashirama, although disappointed at the lack of long term peace, could not argue with this idea. It would allow both clans to build themselves up and regain strength. And perhaps, just maybe, allow the anger to die down enough to create the desire among his clan folk for a permanent solution to the ongoing war. Madara mulled over her words, seriously considering the proposal and thinking along the same lines as his adversary.

"Brother, you aren't seriously going to agree to this, are you?" Izuna finally spoke up, appalled that his brother would even consider this option. "You cannot trust them to keep their word!"

Madara ignored Izuna "They will surely keep their word if collateral is involved."

Hashirama quickly volunteered his own life as a guarantee, but Amare stopped him.

"You know that won't work, the clan needs you to remain with them. I'll do it."

"Ah yes, we know Hashirama would never endanger his siblings' lives. It appears reasonable." Madara looked pleased with the terms of this. "If any one of your clan mounts an attack, independent or not, the deal is void and she dies. I will ensure this arrangement is upheld on our end."

Izuna remained silent and kept his eyes on the enemy, an enemy that they could not destroy for sixty more days. _Something familiar about her _he discerned as his eyes scrutinized the girl. As Hashirama spoke her name, it hit him. _She's the one who saved me? How is that even possible, she is a Senju. _

"Amare, are you sure about this?" He didn't even have to ask, really. He knew her answer.

"Entirely. Everything will be fine."

Hashirama nodded, feeling proud of his younger sister for placing herself amidst the enemy. It would not be an easy undertaking by any means. "Be careful."

Amare made a move to step forward, but nearly jumped several feet in the air when Madara appeared at her side and gripped her arm. "There is no time to waste." He shot a glare over his shoulder back at Hashirama and with a smug expression, taunted him. "I will see you on the sixty first day." With that, Amare had her leave with the two Uchiha, without so much as a goodbye to her brother. _I'm not too fond of goodbyes anyways. _

After watching the three of them leave, Hashirama considered his next big issue.

How in hell was he going to explain to Tobirama that he just allowed Amare to leave with the enemy and oh it's okay because they promised not to kill her since there is a temporary agreement that isn't even written? He massaged his temples. "There is no way for this to end well..."

* * *

Note:

Totally didn't want to go with the "omg they kidnapped her" scenario. See it way too much to the point it has turned cliche/predictable (wait is there even enough Senju/Uchiha stories to make it cliche?!) so I made it a willing consignment. Chances are if they kidnapped her, they would just kill her or use her to gain an upper hand. This was the best way to keep everyone in character.

Why did Hashirama not ask for any collateral in return? Several reasons, but here is the main one. He's an idealist. He firmly believes that the Uchiha will honor the 60 day armistice, and does not ask for anything in return for a guarantee. He puts a lot of faith/trust in people, and after the founding of Konoha, always seemed to give the Uchiha the benefit of the doubt anyways.

You may ask yourself, is it truly characteristic of Madara to agree to an armistice? I even questioned this while writing. Is it not rather damaging to ones pride? As we all know, he is terribly prideful. I'll explain this one as well. For the primary reason, it would be because of the recent awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan (according to my event of things). Despite being talented, it would take some adjustment/training to grasp its full power. To this affect, Madara believed the armistice to be most beneficial to his clan. There are times when exceptional leaders set aside pride for the ulterior prize. This would give him enough time to grasp that new ability, and return to the battle entirely more kickass than he was before. Like, how is that possible?!

Totally have some method to my madness xD Reviews are totally welcomed and appreciated!


	6. Chapter 5: No Winners In War

When writing this, I totally tapped into the relationship between my sister and I. I can relate to the dynamics between Hashirama and Tobirama. Tobirama is the boss most times, hands down. My younger sister is my boss, she is way more serious and tight laced than I am. I'm the eccentric idiot legal "adult" that she has to babysit. Comically enough, whenever I try to cook food as simple as mac n' cheese, she barges into the kitchen and admonishes me, takes the spoon out of my hand and tells me to sit down. Ouch. I meant to have this up way earlier, however, I ended up so distressed/distracted by a little run in with the police. Curse traffic violations! I'm really happy to finally get this chapter up to you guys! Thank you so much for the reviews!

* * *

Hashirama delivered the news of the treaty to his clan by the morning, but their reaction to it did not make him nearly as nervous as when his brother approached him.

"Good morning, brother, feeling well?" His anxious grin gave it away.

"You let them take her, and you truly expect them not to harm her?" Tobirama never gave way to his emotions, but in this case, he could hardly stop his rising anger from showing. "This may be the most haphazardous thing you have ever done! It could very well cost her life."

"It wasn't exactly my idea..." He hesitated. "When it was clear that there would be no negotiating for the long-term, she offered up this plan. I thought that this would be better than nothing."

Tobirama sighed. _He always looks at the bright side. _ "There is something you should realize. For one, they said they would not harm her DURING the sixty days. They did not say they would allow her to return alive thereafter."

"I don't believe Madara would do that." Hashirama felt so sure of that.

"Heh, maybe he wouldn't, but that does not mean any of the others wouldn't!"

Growing quiet for a moment, he thought to himself for a split moment that perhaps after all, this had not been a very strategic move on his end. Suddenly he smiled "Have some faith in her."

"There is one other thing...Why would Madara agree to an armistice, unless there was a true gain?"

"There doesn't have to be an ulterior motive."

* * *

Madara made it clear that he didn't want too many others knowing of Amare's heritage. She knew that others wouldn't be so kind as to not rip her apart, if they had the chance. His generosity shocked her. At first, she had no idea what to expect. Maybe to be tied up, tortured, rudeness, whatever they could throw at her without breaking the deal. However, he gave her a room within his own home. It looked beautifully furnished, but Amare couldn't help but complete the ultimate test when no one else was around. She leapt into the air and landed down on the bed and grinned. "Wow, it's actually really comfy." When she heard a voice in the doorway, she jerked to see who and blushed madly to see Izuna.

"What are you doing?" He didn't sound amused in the least.

"Uh...I was just testing...it." Amare covered her face with her hands, drowning in embarrassment.

"They are pretty nice." He fell silent. _She isn't like her brothers. _

"Sorry...I will try not to be much trouble for you and your brother while here. I'm really grateful for the kindness."

"Yes, my brother does intend to keep his word." They both fell silent after that, until he came up with an idea.

"Why don't I show you around a bit? After all, you will be here for a while."

"Sure." Amare followed him out of the house, noticing that Madara wasn't around.

After walking around with her and showing her different areas, he began to curse himself. _Why did I even feel the need to entertain her? Ugh. She's a Senju. _

Izuna noticed that she hadn't followed him for several steps and glanced back at her.

There she stood still, several feet behind him, gazing at several of his clansmen carrying a stretcher with a young boy on it. By the looks of things, he wouldn't live much longer and appeared to be in a great deal of pain. The men set the stretcher down beside a building and then left him there. _Surely they are not just leaving him to die! _Amare couldn't bare the thought of it. He was so young, so innocent. Izuna could sense what she was thinking and reached for her hand to prevent her from going towards the boy.

"There is nothing else they can do for him. The medical facility is full, and he is too far gone."

Amare stared up at him pleadingly. "Please allow me to help him."

Izuna sighed and let go of her hand, allowing her to go to the boy's side. He stood behind her as she kneeled down and began performing a technique he only faintly recalled from years ago. She was so gentle and forgiving. It truly didn't add up to him. At first, he didn't believe she could possibly save the boy. When the boy's breathing returned to normal and his wounds were no longer visible, he was shocked. "I've heard some deal of your capabilities. It would be unwise to let you return home to save more Senju, just to allow them to return to the battlefield. But why help us? It doesn't make sense. You're only hurting your own clan. This boy will return to battle and kill more of your clan." Izuna scoffed at her. How could she be so careless? Her actions were rather angering.

Amare smiled softly at the boy and then stood up. "This shouldn't be happening. I love my family, but this war has claimed too many of the both of us. I just want to see it come to an end. There are no winners in war."

Izuna couldn't argue with that logic, but the only end he could see to it was one where the Uchiha destroyed the Senju. Then there would be peace.

"Would you be satisfied working in the clinic? I am not below admitting that your healing capabilities may be greater than our own..."

"If that is what you wish."

Later on, Izuna spoke to his brother about their little captive. "You don't believe her to be of any threat, do you?"

Madara waved him off. "Of course she isn't. Fighting in any form isn't in her nature."

"And how can you be so sure of that?"

He contemplated for a moment. "Because years ago, she saved you from dying. She knew who we were and took many risks to help you. Any other Senju would have disposed of you. This girl cannot help but be neutral, and would help anyone she saw hurt."

"You're right. She did it again, today. I offered that she work in the clinic. That explains why she had no qualms about agreeing."

"It wouldn't be so difficult to earn her trust..."

Izuna knew immediately where his brother was going with this. Despite his dislike of underhanded tactics, he wouldn't deny a chance to gain an upper hand in this war. After all, it wasn't as if they were actually going to harm the girl.

"It will be done."


	7. Chapter 6: The Bet

AH why is it so hard for me to make these chapters longer? No idea. xD I keep trying to increase the length each time, and as you may say, its a very slow incline... ._. I'm trying to upload a chapter every other night. But yesssss ITS HERE :D I really hope you enjoy! This'll lead to the good stuff, promise. :b Thanks for the reviews! :)

* * *

Amare dedicated several days straight to nonstop work in the clinic. It kept her busy and gave her the chance to get to know several more people, who all assumed that she was just someone hired to assist them. At first the people she worked with were not so kindly to any outsider, but as the days went on and she proved her exceeding usefulness, she earned their respect. While walking back to her temporary home, a young boy ran up to her with a shy smile. It took a moment for her to register who it was, but once she did, she grinned at him.

"How are you feeling? You look much better!"

The boy blushed. "Good...I-I just wanted to t-thank you..." He kept stammering nervously and looking at the ground.

"Is that so? I'm glad. If you need anything else, don't be afraid to ask."

"Well...there is something." He looked embarrassed and hesitated to ask. "Are you busy later?"

"Not particularly." _Sitting around, really. _

"Then could we...hangout?" He said the last part quietly and didn't expect her to say yes.

"Sure, why don't we meet here later on?"

The boy grinned, barely able to contain his excitement. "Okay! Thank you!" With that, he took off.

Amare returned to the house, satisfied to at least have plans for the evening. Until then, she passed the time by reading books and drinking tea. There had been no sign of Madara or Izuna, so she assumed that they busied themselves with training. Right before she left to meet with the boy, the two of them returned, looking sweaty and worn.

"Where are you off to?" Izuna inquired.

"The boy from several days ago asked me to meet him."

"He is already fully recovered? Remarkable." He mumbled.

"Do not keep him waiting then." Madara spoke, allowing her to leave.

She nodded and went to the place she told the boy they would meet at. He looked elated to see her show up.

"So what shall you have us do?"

"Can we train?!"

"Whatever you want." He took her by the hand and lead her to a lightly forested area.

"I never heard your name."

"Oh..." he blushed "I'm so sorry! I'm Ryuto. I, uh, heard others say that you are Amare."

"That's right. Well, nice to meet you."

Ryuto grinned "Please show me something cool, like that thing you did earlier! Show me that!"

"If you really think you can handle that" She teased him.

For the next couple of hours, she showed him the basics of healing. Determined not to give up after multiple failures, he kept trying to heal the simplest of wounds Amare inflicted on herself for practice. Tired and beginning to give up, he huffed and sat down.

"How is that so hard!? You made it look easy."

"A lot of practice. You'll master it by the end of the week, I promise. In the mean time, you should practice your chakra control. It needs to be exact for it to work properly."

Ryuto nodded. "Yes sensei!"

Amare hadn't realized that by the end of the week, she would have garnered two more young followers.

* * *

Despite how kind hearted she was, Amare knew she had to be hard on the young Uchiha in order to prepare them for whatever came their way. She cursed how they had to be sent to war, but she would at least teach them enough to be able to stand more of a chance against adults. It just wasn't fair. The test was designed to be simple: evade the enemy's attacks for as long as possible, prolonging their own lives. After several weeks, her three students learned to heal minor wounds and basic first aid. Knowing what these kids would be up against, she could not go easy on them. No one else would. Amare knelt down and placed a hand against the forest floor. Suddenly, she knew exactly where they were and tracked them in no time. As a medic, she needed to be able to know where the enemy was at all times. Therefore, her capabilities as a sensor were only rivaled by her two brothers. Concentrating chakra into her arms for power, she violently punched through a tree, completely destroying it and making it fall. She heard the kids shriek and jump from the tree and into another.

"What the hell was that?!" Ryuto yelled as a whisper to his team mates.

Yushin panicked "Let's GO!" The three of them then took off, exchanging worried glances. The only girl of them, Hanako, looked really impressed. "Who knew sensei was that strong!"

They all came to an abrupt stop, nearly knocking each other over when their sensei stood before them. "Jump!" Ryuto led the other two in jumping down from the tree in a feeble attempt to escape. Amare flew down after them, aiming a punch right at them. They screamed and scattered, as debris flew up all around them and clouded their view.

"Whoa!"

"COOL!"

As the dust cleared, they all observed a large crater where Amare's fist had connected.

"I think we're done for the day. That was a decent exercise, you didn't get hit. Nice job" She smiled at them sweetly as they all three gave her a crazy look.

"Can we learn how to do stuff like that?" Hanako looked thrilled to be part of the training.

A flash of sadness swept across Amare's face, but was gone as quickly as it came. "If we have time."

At once, all three of them bowed suddenly leaving Amare confused for a moment until she turned around and saw Madara and Izuna approaching them. The brothers observed the damage done from their training.

"Quite the mess."

"Sorry about that." Really, she wasn't sorry much for it.

"You're stronger than you act. Should we be concerned?" Madara was being sarcastic, mostly.

She shrugged "Not particularly."

"Maybe we should invite her to train with us." Izuna smirked.

"Mocking me isn't going to make me want to be near you." Over the past several weeks, Izuna made obvious attempts at getting to know her and spend time with her. However, she knew that to him, it was merely a means to an end. He wanted her trust, her information perhaps, and she was not fool enough to fall for such a ruse. It honestly frustrated her to no end that the brothers believed that it would even work.

The kids suddenly shrunk back, both fearful and shocked that she had just spoken to the leaders of the clan that way. Was she even aware of who they were?

Izuna faked being insulted. "Come now, that isn't fair. Why don't we have a sparring contest? If you win, i'll leave you alone. If I win, you have to come with me somewhere."

"Heh, fine!"

Madara hadn't expected her to agree to such a ridiculous thing. As amused as he would be to stay and watch, he decided to leave things to Izuna. There was other business to attend to, anyways. After telling the three young Uchiha to go home, he took his leave. _This should work. _

Several weeks with them had some effect, she was at least more comfortable among them. Amare stood across from Izuna, glaring him down. "I won't lose a bet."

* * *

Here we get to see more of Amare's badass side :D She may be sweet but that doesn't mean she can't kick some ass. You'll see some similarities between her and Tsunade :D After all they are related. And much like Tsunade, she cannot refuse a bet or gamble!


	8. Chapter 7: Pinnacle

Super sorry it took so long to update. : / It has been a crazy rough month with classes starting again, but now that things are getting settled, my creativity is back. Hope to update more often now!

* * *

Amare sweat profusely, her chest pounding. _Perhaps this wasn't my greatest idea. I always sucked at gambling. But there is no way I can admit defeat to him! _She hurriedly looked around for a way to improvise her situation. From a distance, she could hear Izuna walking closer to where she had herself hidden.

"Running away isn't going to help!" He actually found himself enjoying their little game of cat and mouse. He wasn't below admitting that her defensive skills impressed him, but as her energy left her after countless attacks, she had little choice but to hide in order to regain strength to mount an attack. This was exactly where he wanted her. Running, grasping to anything that might help. Izuna became so over confident that he stopped and deactivated his sharingan. Amare, feeling the change, decided that it was now or never. As quickly as he let his guard down, she was in front of him delivering a powerful punch that connected with his stomach. In that moment, realization hit her too late and Izuna's clone disappeared. She felt him behind her, so close to her she could feel his breath on her neck. He dangled a kunai by her face, a smug look of triumph spread across his face. "I am victorious."

Amare sighed and faced him. "Fine, you win this round. I'll "spend time" with you."

"Why say it so? Is it such a horrible thing? Girls here would kill for the chance." He scoffed at her attitude.

"Is that so? Then I am honored." She smiled at him.

"You must be tired after trying to run from me." He teased. "So we'll go out tomorrow."

"Fair enough."

* * *

Despite it not being called a date, Amare's heart pounded against her chest as the time drew near that he would come for her. Stopping in front of a mirror several times, she observed herself and frowned. "I don't have a thing here to look nice with. Or anything." Growing increasingly frustrated, she began to search through the dresser. "Why do I even care about how I look for this guy? After all, I'm just a captive..." As she dug through the clothes, most of which were plain in color, she pulled out a dark blue silk kimono decorated with a simple floral design. "That's better..." After putting it on, she stood in front of the mirror with a grin. As if on cue, there was a knock at the door and a voice that followed. "Are you ready?"

Izuna struggled with the idea of where to take her. Despite sharing everything with his brother, he had not mentioned that he decided to take her out with him alone. It wasn't meant to be a secret, but if Madara was not going to ask, he was not going to tell. _It's a date, sort of...A fake one!_ Izuna told himself vehemently. After all, he was tasked at gaining Amare's trust. Even with himself calling it a fake date, he still felt timid about it. He never wasted time on doing these sorts of things with girls...So how did it even work? Izuna finally decided on taking her to a waterfall a small distance from their property. Once arriving, he observed the shocked look on her face as she took in the scenery.

"What's that look for?"

"I'm just surprised at your thoughtfulness. What made you think of this place?"

Izuna shrugged. "My mother always thought it was a nice place and brought us here time to time. What do you think?"

The roar of the falls echoed through the lush valley below gave Amare a sense of comfort and peace. At that moment she pondered what her brothers may be up to and how their mom may be faring. The thought of how terribly concerned her mom would be, especially after just losing her husband...Amare frowned and began to doubt her whether her actions would be effective in any way, or if this would cause greater harm. Izuna rose a brow at the lack of response. "Hello?"

"Sorry! I was just thinking. It is a really peaceful place, I wouldn't mind coming more often." She flashed him a half-hearted smile. Izuna immediately saw right through it.

"Feeling a bit homesick?" He didn't really want to sympathize with her, but ultimately she should have never had any part in this war, even despite her heritage.

"I suppose that's it. I'm tired of bloodshed, war, hate...When does it end?"

"After we destroy the Senju." This response came out naturally, however, he regretted it as soon as it came out. Yes, the statement reflected how he truly felt but at the same time, he felt remorse for saying it to her. "I didn't..."

Amare appeared unfazed by his bluntness but felt a bit of a sting that he, by extension, held that way towards her as well. "It's alright. You really feel that way...I've heard similar words before."

"By Tobirama, no doubt."

"Whether or not you succeed in destroying us makes no difference. A war bred by hatred will produce nothing more than hate and it will eventually destroy you in return."

"I have no interest in discussing these matters with you here and now. For the moment, enjoy this peace while it is here. It won't last much longer."

They sat in silence together until day began to turn into dusk. As they moved to leave, Amare froze up. "Someone's coming..." The feeling simultaneously hit them both, as Izuna already activated his sharingan.

"There's a lot of them. What now?"

"I'll handle it...Perfect practice." Izuna went to route out the enemy head on. Amare followed, even though she knew he wouldn't want any help. She watched on as he confronted seven men. _Why or how did they even know to come here? They aren't Senju...or anyone i've seen before. _

Their skills paled compared to Izuna's. _A perfect time to show them who they're dealing with. _Amare observed a sudden change in him. He was faster than before and he made a move she never witnessed the likes of before. The men before him began screaming in agony as each of them were burnt by flames. It moved slowly as each man tried unsuccessfully to quell them. Satisfied with the results, Izuna turned around to face her with a smirk. She could clearly see the change in his dojutsu, but in a moment it was gone.

"What do you think?" When he received no reply from her, he chuckled. "Lets go, we're done here now."

On the way back, she stopped him. "What was it?"

"Now you want to know? Well I'll tell you, because when you return to your brothers, you will tell them. It's the Mangekyo Sharingan and entirely superior to even that of the Wood Release."

"It doesn't concern me."

"You must put a lot of faith in them. It will be so disappointing for you, then."

Amare said nothing in return and kept walking. His arrogance made her want to flat out smack him, but the image of those horrible flames burned in her memory. It did actually concern her. Once they arrived 'home', she retreated to her room. _What a terrible "date". _

In the meantime, Izuna reported to Madara everything that had happened.

"That sounds like a poor date." Madara retorted sarcastically.

"In all seriousness, she or her clan may have something to do with that little attack. If it is true, we have every right to retaliate."

Madara fell deep into thought. "I highly doubt she did."

"How could you assume that?! She is a Senju, no less. This would give us a perfect opening."

"Yes, but we made a deal."

"They broke their own deal."

"We don't know that for sure, but we will..."

"What are you thinking of?"

"She will tell us everything she knows willingly."

Izuna's expression grew concern. "You don't intend to use that on her, do you?"

"Why the sudden concern?"

"It seems...excessive. And if things are as you suspect, she should have no knowledge of a planned attack."

"I know the risks involved with using it. I won't harm her wellbeing. I have an idea what extent I can use it to find out what we want to know without doing any damage."

"I trust that your control will be augmented, nonetheless. I suppose there isn't anything _we _should be worried about."

"It will be an excellent test run...the pinnacle of these eyes, Tsukuyomi."

* * *

Note~~

Grrr I spent a lot of time on this chapter, and while i'm not necessarily satisfied, under my current circumstances it will suffice. Still also trying to extend the lengths, but i was anxious to get this chapter up. :( Nonetheless I hope you enjoyed and I hope to have a new chapter up soon!


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